An editor from World Vision magazine recently asked me to go to Rwanda, Africa to document the story of a group of pastors and other church leaders from the United States as they participated in a Pastors’ Vision Trip. What a heartwarming, emotional and rewarding experience for me to travel with this group as we visited various sites in areas where World Vision is working to equip Rwandan villages to transform themselves into sustainable communities.

During our trip we met with local World Vision staff (a dedicated and passionate group of people), humble and gracious local pastors, and members of their congregations and the community at large. We met with children who lost both parents to the AIDS pandemic that is devastating sub-Saharan Africa. We also met a survivor who had lost his wife and five children during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. We watched as mothers fed their malnourished babies at a feeding center. We visited a health clinic, and exchanged hugs and gifts with World Vision sponsored children. Greeted with enthusiasm and genuine interest from a nation of hardworking people who are trying to establish a future with optimism, we returned to America determined to help where we can.

These are some of my favorite images.